The by-election, which was called after the Umno MP for KT died in November, is seen as a crucial one with high stakes.

It is a test of Mr Najib’s acceptability while the opposition hopes a victory will recharge their campaign to seize power.

Mr Najib is under pressure to defend the seat, which Umno managed to retain with only a slim majority in March last year with the help of Chinese voters who did not like the insularity of PAS in Terengganu.

A study by political analyst Ong Kian Ming showed that about 47per cent of Malays voted for Barisan Nasional (BN) in KT in March, while 64per cent of non-Malays voted BN.

If the seat is lost, Mr Najib will be blamed for being unable to fend off the opposition – the same accusation that resulted in Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi opting for early retirement.

‘Should BN lose, it will have a huge impact on Mr Najib,’ said political analyst Agus Yusoff.

Mr Najib said in an interview with Mingguan Malaysia, the Sunday edition of the Umno-owned Utusan Malaysia newspaper: ‘The KT by-election is of great significance and importance to Umno and BN, and not just for Terengganu but for the nation.’

Former premier Mahathir Mohamad, however, deflected attention away from Mr Najib. He said yesterday that some people were trying to project it as a test for Mr Najib, but in reality, Mr Wan Farid was a ‘proxy’ of others.

Mr Wan Farid is known as an ally of Datuk Seri Abdullah and his unpopular son-in-law, Mr Khairy Jamaluddin.

Analysts do not believe that a loss will jeopardise Mr Najib’s chances of becoming prime minister, unless Umno turns against him.